


At Least in Spirit

by Sildominarin



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Carlos is a Good Boyfriend, Cecil is a Dork, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Ghosts, M/M, Nightvale Shenanigans, Science Experiments, Voice of Nightvale powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-27
Updated: 2015-10-27
Packaged: 2018-04-28 10:22:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5086960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sildominarin/pseuds/Sildominarin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the horror of Valentines Day, Carlos no longer knew what to expect from holidays. But he certainly wasn't expecting... This.</p>
            </blockquote>





	At Least in Spirit

**Author's Note:**

  * For [samanthahirr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/samanthahirr/gifts).



Before Cecil, Carlos's longest relationship had stretched about seven months. In that time he had missed almost every single holiday, and at least half of their date nights. Daniel had been more resigned than hurt or angry, and after he had left Carlos had found himself determined not to make the mistake again.

And then came the grant to head to Nightvale, to study the most scientifically interesting town ever found. And with it came Cecil and his- exuberant- appreciation of Carlos, and the scientist found himself slowly falling in love with a man he was determined not to drive away.

Unfortunately, Nightvale didn't give him as many opportunities as he'd like. Valentine's Day was all but a war zone, and New Years wasn't much better. Christmas was at least a quiet affair, but the stress of Cecil appropriate gifts took away from that.

It didn't help that every time he logged in Amazon his screen would scream and turn green.

And with that before him Halloween posed a serious problem. In the rest of the world Halloween meant sexy costumes and cheap liquor and awkward make outs between passing out candy. But Nightvale promised to be something far more sinister, and Carlos had actively tried to be ready for everything.

Thankfully, on that front, there was no better source than the man he was trying to plan with. Cecil was a literal walking encyclopedia of local holiday traditions, and he was always thrilled when Carlos expressed an interest in learning more about Nightvale. If the scientist played his cards right he could really stack multiple 'date' nights together just planning for the main event. Science may have been what he was best at, but no one had ever said that Carlos could not at least try to be romantic. Or, at least practically affectionate.

They had a standing Wednesday dinner date, usually just take out Big Rico's and a bottle of wine in front of whatever movie the television was in the mood to play. Sometimes they would ignore the movie to lean against each other and kiss idly. Other times they would compare notes over Nightvale's latest developments, and try to make contigency plans for future disasters. No matter what they did, though, Cecil was happy with it, and Carlos had begun to learn both how to balance work and his personal life, and even to look forward to it.

Of course, he had never expected their date the week of Halloween to start with Cecil sprawled, lifeless, on the kitchen floor.

 The scientist never heard the wine smash on the floor or the pizza box knock the vases over as it went flying. Cecil's body was limp as Carlos hefted him into his arms, fingers scrambling vainly against the cool skin of the Voice's neck in a search for a pulse.

"Ceec? Oh God, Cecil, oh God." The scientist felt a long, low shudder begin along his spine, promising the beginning of a truly terrible panic attack. He hadn't had one in more than a decade, not since the night before his first thesis presentation when he was so sure that he would fail, and this was so much worse than that, so much worse and Cecil still wasn't waking up and he was dead and Carlos couldn't breathe he couldn't  _breathe--_

It was hard to shake himself back to lucidity, and Carlos might not have managed it if there had not been another crash from behind him. It made him jump, pulling the still body of Cecil protectively to his chest as he looked around. There was a broken crockery jar on the floor, spilling sugar in every direction and--and something was writing in it.

'CARLOS I'M HERE'

The scientist blinked his eyes a few times, trying to understand what was happening. The curl of the r and the h could only be one person, but it was still hard to believe.

  
"Cecil?"

The sugar was brushed back to erase the writing, and more letters appeared. 'IT'S ME. HI."

And the scientist managed a watery smile and half choked chuckle. "Hi Cecil. Are...are you okay?"

'YES.'

"What happened?"

And the word that was traced in the sugar made Cecil's blood run cold, even as his vision went red.

'KEVIN'

                                                                           -_-_-_-_-_-_---__-_-_-_-_-

Carlos had to fight to keep his breathe steady as he knocked on the door to Old Woman Josie's house. It wasn't easy to carry both the bpdy of his boyfriend and a backpack of scientific equipment and an over eager etch a sketch in one pocket as well as get over to the only angelic sanctuary that he was aware of.

And Josie hardly seemed surprised to see him, though he seemed equally unnerved by the unnaturally still Cecil in his arms. "Better put him on the couch--I'll get Erica."

And the woman must have finally had a chance to get salt, because the corn muffin she handed Carlos was very good as they both sat and watched the angels work. First the etch a sketch was dissolved in a gout of heavenly fire- which caused the scientist more than one moment of blind panic- before the angels- the black one, more specifically- carefully drew a shimmering line across Cecil's forehead, bisecting the third eye and holding it still until the regular eyelids beneath it began to flicker.

And Cecil got one shuddering breath in before Carlos was kissing him long and sweet, and planning a fiery revenge.


End file.
